Former Ministry of Defense Official Charged with Large-Scale Embezzlement Through Fraud

The preliminary investigation conducted within the framework of criminal proceedings
initiated by the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Republic of Armenia has substantiated
that a former commander of an MoD military unit deliberately created the appearance of
being in need of improved housing conditions. To that end, he carried out fictitious
alienations of other immovable property belonging to him and, by means of fraud,
misappropriated an apartment granted to him for gratuitous use by order of the Minister of
Defense.

In particular, the investigation established that the MoD official, while permanently residing
in an apartment owned by him and his wife, submitted information on October 9, 2018, to
the MoD Central Housing Commission that did not correspond to reality regarding his level
of housing provision. Based on that information, the Commission issued a favorable
conclusion to grant him ownership, free of charge, of an apartment located at one of the
addresses in Yerevan.

As a result, in July 2019, an apartment recorded on the balance sheet of the Ministry of
Defense, valued at AMD 21,400,000 and classified as particularly large-scale property,
was transferred to the official as a gratuitous ownership right.
The individual has been charged under Article 178, Part 3, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code
of the Republic of Armenia adopted on April 18, 2003 (repealed as of July 1, 2022),
corresponding to Article 255, Part 3, Clause 3 of the current Criminal Code of the Republic
of Armenia.

The preliminary investigation has been completed, and the case materials, along with the
indictment, have been submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court of the Republic of Armenia.
Notice: A person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until his guilt is proven in
accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the
Republic of Armenia and confirmed by a court verdict that has entered into legal force.